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Kalman: Bruins' Backup Job Is Gustavsson's Now, But Competition Isn't Over

BOSTON (CBS) -- At least until he gets a few strong performances under his belt in the regular season, goaltender Jonas Gustavsson should rent, not buy, in the Boston area.

That was the unspoken gist of Bruins coach Claude Julien's comments Tuesday after practice at TD Garden. Julien acknowledged how close the battle to be Tuukka Rask's backup was between Gustavsson and Jeremy Smith. And although Julien wouldn't go into great detail about what made the difference, Julien spoke about the 30-year-old Gustavsson's experience, which has spanned 148 NHL games over six seasons.

But Gustavsson, who signed a contract Sunday after competing in camp on a tryout, shouldn't be too comfortable just because he'll be sitting on the Bruins' bench for the season opener on Thursday and Smith will be playing for Iowa of the American Hockey League after clearing waivers at noon Tuesday.

"We had to make a decision and it could've gone either way. But we made that one based on how we felt. Maybe it was a slight, slight edge," Julien said. "But even we can be wrong and maybe you do get to see Smitty back here again. So we're not saying that this is it, this is what we're going with for the whole season. We're keeping our options open here as well."

Gustavsson played 87 minutes in the preseason and stopped 42 of 45 shots. The 26-year-old Smith, who has never played in the NHL in the regular season, stopped 47 of 51 shots in 199 minutes.

Julien stressed that this decision was made not just by him but by general manager Don Sweeney and other members of the brass. Regardless of the collaborative nature of the decision, it gives a window into the decision making process from last season, when the Bruins lost faith in Niklas Svedberg. Clearly Svedberg's lack of experience contributed to the Bruins lacking confidence in him bouncing back after some midseason foibles. With Gustavsson, there's more of a track record, at the sport's highest level, to go through some adversity and come out unscathed.

However, Gustavsson now has to prove he can regain some of the form that helped him win 16 games for Detroit in 2013-14. He had a 2.63 goals-against average and .907 save percentage, which might be enough for him, combined with more production from the Bruins' offense and tighter defense, to sufficiently fill the backup role. But last season he was slowed by a shoulder injury and a concussion and played in just seven games. He had a 2.56 GAA and .911 save percentage, so he was on pace to have a better year than the one before. He last played a NHL game, though, March 8.

Gustavsson believed he had a strong camp despite what he dealt with last season.

"I felt last year too, even though I didn't play at the end of the season, I could practice and my body felt fine and all that," he said. "So I felt like I still had it in me. And I had a good summer so I felt like I was prepared for the season. But obviously I'm happy to be here now."

He's happy but not content because he knows a one-year contract worth just $600,000 doesn't guarantee a full season in Boston. The Bruins could cut him as easily as they invited him to camp on a tryout.

"Now you've got to keep pushing yourself and prove that you're supposed to be here," he said. "I'm happy to get the contract done, but it's another day. You take the next step and try to help yourself and help the team win some games."

The Bruins' goaltender depth, which extends to Malcolm Subban and Zane McIntyre, benefits the organization but it could be Gustavsson's enemy if he doesn't excel in the role. The competition to be Rask's back up isn't over, it's moving on to the next chapter.

Matt Kalman covers the Bruins for CBSBoston.com and also contributes to NHL.com and several other media outlets. Follow him on Twitter @TheBruinsBlog.

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